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Business Situation

It was a day that Australian cricket fans will always remember. Out of form and with his career on the line, hall of famer Steve Waugh stepped up to bat during the fifth Test of the 2002-03 Ashes series and scored a dramatic, last-ball century to ignite the home crowd and send the entire country into a frenzy of excitement.

The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust (SCG Trust) is in the midst of a digital transformation to improve the guest and member experience and wants to be recognised as a leader in emerging technology. SCG Trust wanted to explore ways that artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) can be used to attract more fans to the stadium, so it turned to Avanade to help create something unique and iconic. The company wanted to re-creating Waugh's "perfect day" through a digital fan experience – and needed it ready in time for the 2017-18 Ashes, only months away.

“We wanted to really push the boundaries of technology to offer our fans something that they had never seen before. Avanade’s Advisory team helped turn our ambitious ideas into a custom solution, rather than just giving us something prepackaged.”

Jane ColesGeneral Manager of Membership and Marketing, SCG Trust

Solution

Avanade’s Advisory Services team led a cross-functional ideation session with key stakeholders from the SCG Trust. They explored the client’s requirements and ideas and conducted a series of workshops. Exciting new technology platforms were showcased and practical use cases for each were identified in a hands-on environment.

The project consisted of two parts: a Microsoft HoloLens experience – which can be used by fans before important matches and as a new part of the popular stadium tour – and a mobile application that leverages AR to bring Steve Waugh right into people’s homes.

Using an agile methodology, our delivery team worked closely with SCG Trust to rapidly prototype and build the proof-of-concept version of the experience, which was ready to go live for the public in only eight weeks.

Results

The Steve Waugh HoloLens experience met its ambitious deadline and was showcased for the first time during the Sydney Ashes Test in January 2018, delighting fans at the venue and receiving an equally enthusiastic response during stadium tours.

The mobile app has been downloaded thousands of times by at-home users around the world.

This project is a turning point in the sporting world and has received widespread media coverage and acclaim, with the story featured in major media outlets. This recognition has increased the SCG Trust’s profile and helped solidify its reputation as a leader in digital innovation and fan satisfaction.